resurrection(复活)-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


whole　of　his　graceful　figure　in　his　embroidered　uniform。　Putting
his　hand　on　the　desk　he　looked　round　the　room；　slightly　bowing
his　head；　and；　avoiding　the　eyes　of　the　prisoners；　began　to　read
the　speech　he　had　prepared　while　the　reports　were　being　read。

〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury！　The　business　that　now　lies　before　you　is；
if　I　may　so　express　myself；　very　characteristic。〃

The　speech　of　a　public　prosecutor；　according　to　his　views；　should
always　have　a　social　importance；　like　the　celebrated　speeches
made　by　the　advocates　who　have　become　distinguished。　True；　the
audience　consisted　of　three　womena　semptress；　a　cook；　and
Simeon's　sisterand　a　coachman；　but　this　did　not　matter。　The
celebrities　had　begun　in　the　same　way。　To　be　always　at　the　height
of　his　position；　i。e。；　to　penetrate　into　the　depths　of　the
psychological　significance　of　crime　and　to　discover　the　wounds　of
society；　was　one　of　the　prosecutor's　principles。

〃You　see　before　you；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　a　crime
characteristic；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　of　the　end　of　our
century；　bearing；　so　to　say；　the　specific　features　of　that　very
painful　phenomenon；　the　corruption　to　which　those　elements　of　our
present…day　society；　which　are；　so　to　say；　particularly　exposed
to　the　burning　rays　of　this　process；　are　subject。〃

The　public　prosecutor　spoke　at　great　length；　trying　not　to　forget
any　of　the　notions　he　had　formed　in　his　mind；　and；　on　the　other
hand；　never　to　hesitate；　and　let　his　speech　flow　on　for　an　hour
and　a　quarter　without　a　break。

Only　once　he　stopped　and　for　some　time　stood　swallowing　his
saliva；　but　he　soon　mastered　himself　and　made　up　for　the
interruption　by　heightened　eloquence。　He　spoke；　now　with　a
tender；　insinuating　accent；　stepping　from　foot　to　foot　and
looking　at　the　jury；　now　in　quiet；　business…like　tones；　glancing
into　his　notebook；　then　with　a　loud；　accusing　voice；　looking　from
the　audience　to　the　advocates。　But　he　avoided　looking　at　the
prisoners；　who　were　all　three　fixedly　gazing　at　him。　Every　new
craze　then　in　vogue　among　his　set　was　alluded　to　in　his　speech；
everything　that　then　was；　and　some　things　that　still　are；
considered　to　be　the　last　words　of　scientific　wisdom：　the　laws　of
heredity　and　inborn　criminality；　evolution　and　the　struggle　for
existence；　hypnotism　and　hypnotic　influence。

According　to　his　definition；　the　merchant　Smelkoff　was　of　the
genuine　Russian　type；　and　had　perished　in　consequence　of　his
generous；　trusting　nature；　having　fallen　into　the　hands　of　deeply
degraded　individuals。

Simeon　Kartinkin　was　the　atavistic　production　of　serfdom；　a
stupefied；　ignorant；　unprincipled　man；　who　had　not　even　any
religion。　Euphemia　was　his　mistress；　and　a　victim　of　heredity；
all　the　signs　of　degeneration　were　noticeable　in　her。　The　chief
wire…puller　in　this　affair　was　Maslova；　presenting　the　phenomenon
of　decadence　in　its　lowest　form。　〃This　woman；〃　he　said；　looking
at　her；　〃has；　as　we　have　to…day　heard　from　her　mistress　in　this
court；　received　an　education；　she　cannot　only　read　and　write；　but
she　knows　French；　she　is　illegitimate；　and　probably　carries　in
her　the　germs　of　criminality。　She　was　educated　in　an　enlightened；
noble　family　and　might　have　lived　by　honest　work；　but　she　deserts
her　benefactress；　gives　herself　up　to　a　life　of　shame　in　which
she　is　distinguished　from　her　companions　by　her　education；　and
chiefly；　gentlemen　of　the　jury；　as　you　have　heard　from　her
mistress；　by　her　power　of　acting　on　the　visitors　by　means　of　that
mysterious　capacity　lately　investigated　by　science；　especially　by
the　school　of　Charcot；　known　by　the　name　of　hypnotic　influence。
By　these　means　she　gets　hold　of　this　Russian；　this　kind…hearted
Sadko；　＇Sadko；　the　hero　of　a　legend＇　the　rich　guest；　and　uses　his
trust　in　order　first　to　rob　and　then　pitilessly　to　murder　him。〃

〃Well；　he　is　piling　it　on　now；　isn't　he？〃　said　the　president　with
a　smile；　bending　towards　the　serious　member。

〃A　fearful　blockhead！〃　said　the　serious　member。

Meanwhile　the　public　prosecutor　went　on　with　his　speech。
〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；〃　gracefully　swaying　his　body；　〃the　fate
of　society　is　to　a　certain　extent　in　your　power。　Your　verdict
will　influence　it。　Grasp　the　full　meaning　of　this　crime；　the
danger　that　awaits　society　from　those　whom　I　may　perhaps　be
permitted　to　call　pathological　individuals；　such　as　Maslova。
Guard　it　from　infection；　guard　the　innocent　and　strong　elements
of　society　from　contagion　or　even　destruction。〃

And　as　if　himself　overcome　by　the　significance　of　the　expected
verdict；　the　public　prosecutor　sank　into　his　chair；　highly
delighted　with　his　speech。

The　sense　of　the　speech；　when　divested　of　all　its　flowers　of
rhetoric；　was　that　Maslova；　having　gained　the　merchant's
confidence；　hypnotised　him　and　went　to　his　lodgings　with　his　key
meaning　to　take　all　the　money　herself；　but　having　been　caught　in
the　act　by　Simeon　and　Euphemia　had　to　share　it　with　them。　Then；
in　order　to　hide　the　traces　of　the　crime；　she　had　returned　to　the
lodgings　with　the　merchant　and　there　poisoned　him。

After　the　prosecutor　had　spoken；　a　middle…aged　man　in
swallow…tail　coat　and　low…cut　waistcoat　showing　a　large
half…circle　of　starched　white　shirt；　rose　from　the　advocates'
bench　and　made　a　speech　in　defence　of　Kartinkin　and　Botchkova；
this　was　an　advocate　engaged　by　them　for　300　roubles。　He
acquitted　them　both　and　put　all　the　blame　on　Maslova。　He　denied
the　truth　of　Maslova's　statements　that　Botchkova　and　Kartinkin
were　with　her　when　she　took　the　money；　laying　great　stress　on　the
point　that　her　evidence　could　not　be　accepted；　she　being　charged
with　poisoning。　〃The　2；500　roubles；〃　the　advocate　said；　〃could
have　been　easily　earned　by　two　honest　people　getting　from　three
to　five　roubles　per　day　in　tips　from　the　lodgers。　The　merchant's
money　was　stolen　by　Maslova　and　given　away；　or　even　lost；　as　she
was　not　in　a　normal　state。〃

The　poisoning　was　committed　by　Maslova　alone；　therefore　he　begged
the　jury　to　acquit　Kartinkin　and　Botchkova　of　stealing　the　money；
or　if　they　could　not　acquit　them　of　the　theft；　at　least　to　admit
that　it　was　done　without　any　participation　in　the　poisoning。

In　conclusion　the　advocate　remarked；　with　a　thrust　at　the　public
prosecutor；　that　〃the　brilliant　observations　of　that　gentleman　on
heredity；　while　explaining　scientific　facts　concerning　heredity；
were　inapplicable　in　this　case；　as　Botchkova　was　of　unknown
parentage。〃　The　public　prosecutor　put　something　down　on　paper
with　an　angry　look；　and　shrugged　his　shoulders　in　contemptuous
surprise。

Then　Maslova's　advocate　rose；　and　timidly　and　hesitatingly　began
his　speech　in　her　defence。

Without　denying　that　she　had　taken　part　in　the　stealing　of　the
money；　he　insisted　on　the　fact　that　she　had　no　intention　of
poisoning　Smelkoff；　but　had　given　him　the　powder　only　to　make　him
fall　asleep。　He　tried　to　go　in　for　a　little　eloquence　in　giving　a
description　of　how　Maslova　was　led　into　a　life　of　debauchery　by　a
man　who　had　remained　unpunished　while　she　had　to　bear　all　the
weight　of　her　fall；　but　this　excursion　into　the　domain　of
psychology　was　so　unsuccessful　that　it　made　everybody　feel
uncomfortable。　When　he　muttered　something　about　men's　cruelty　and
women's　helplessness；　the　president　tried　to　help　him　by　asking
him　to　keep　closer　to　the　facts　of　the　case。　When　he　had　finished
the　public　prosecutor　got　up　to　reply。　He　defended　his　position
against　the　first　advocate；　saying　that　oven　if　Botchkova　was　of
unknown　parentage　the　truth　of　the　doctrine　of　heredity　was
thereby　in　no　way　invalidated；　since　the　laws　of　heredity　were　so
far　proved　by　science　that　we　can　not　only　deduce　the　crime　from
heredity；　but　heredity　from　the　crime。　As　to　the　statement　made
in　defence　of　Maslova；　that　she　was　the　victim　of　an　imaginary
（he　laid　a　particularly　venomous　stress　on　the　word　imaginary）
betrayer；　he　could　only　say　that　from　the　evidence　before　them　it
was　much　more　likely　that　she　had　played　the　part　of　temptress　to
many　and　many　a　victim　who　had　fallen　into　her　hands。　Having　said
this　he　sat　down　in　triumph。　Then　the　prisoners　were　offered
permission　to　speak　in　their　own　defence。

Euphemia　Botchkova　repeated　once　more　that　she